Kamen Rider Zi-O
is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series. It is the twentieth and final series in the Heisei period run, the first series to be produced in the Reiwa period, and the twenty-ninth series overall. The series started on September 2, 2018, joining '' in the Super Hero Time line-up after the finale of Kamen Rider Build. After Lupinranger VS Patranger’s conclusion, it was joined by in February 2019 and later in March 2019. After the finale of Kamen Rider Zi-O, Ryusoulger ''would air alongside Kamen Rider Zero-One in a Super Hero Time block. The show tagline is . Much like ''Kamen Rider Decade, it commemorates all of the Heisei-era Kamen Riders to date. The average ratings of the series was 3.0%. Plot Sougo Tokiwa, a high school student born in the year 2000, has always dreamed of becoming a king when he encounters a mysterious girl named Tsukuyomi, who hails from the future in a desperate effort to alter her dire future. She presents Sougo with an ominous warning "You will become the king of all time, Kamen Rider Zi-O, a demonic king destined to rule the world.”. Sougo takes up the mantle as Kamen Rider Zi-O to stop the Time Jackers from destroying the very fabric of space-time while protecting the legacy of the Heisei Kamen Riders that came before him. During his journey alongside Geiz Myokoin, a Kamen Rider from Tsukuyomi's future, and the mysterious prophet Woz who reminds Sougo of his demonic destiny, they will meet their esteemed predecessors who they must gain their trust and powers from in order to create a new future for the Kamen Riders and mankind itself. This is the story of a Kamen Rider who would be king, who will fight to save the past, present, and future, encountering the various Heisei Kamen Riders throughout space-time. Characters Kamen Riders TV Show Future Riders Legacy Riders Another World Riders Another Riders Movie/Special-exclusive Legacy Riders Kamen Sentai Gorider Another Riders Mentioned Stageshow-exclusive Allies *Junichiro Tokiwa Returning characters Arm Monsters Amanogawa High School *Chuta Ohsugi *Daita Kondou *Chikao Nezu Daitenku Temple *Shibuya Hachioji *Narita Kisarazu Other *Riku (corpse) *Mana Kazaya *Takahiro Omuro *Daisuke Okubo *Eri Ogawa (stand-in) *Masato Kusaka *Mari Sonoda (archive footage) *Amane Kurihara *Owner *Master of Fumen *Hina Izumi *Kaito Kumon *Kuroto Dan *Masamune Dan (stand-in) *Misora Isurugi Other *Sotaro Tokiwa *Namie Tokiwa *Sara *Miss Sailor *Oda Nobunaga Legend Riders Kuuga Agito Ryuki 555 Blade Hibiki Kabuto Den-O Kiva G Decade W OOO Fourze Wizard Gaim Drive Ghost Ex-Aid Build Villains Time Jackers *Swartz *Heure *Ora *Tid Other *Gurongi *Lords *Mirror Monsters **Raydragoon **Hydragoon *Orphnochs **Elephant Orphnoch (flashback) *Undead **Darkroaches (flashback) **Joker Undead *Makamou **Tsuchigumo **Bakegani **Ittanmomen **Ooari **Ubume **Amikiri *Worms **Salis Worms **Gryllus Worm *Imagin **Bat Imagin (flashback only) **Mole Imagin **New Mole Imagin *Fangire *Dopants **Masquerade Dopants **Violence Dopant *Yummies **Waste Yummy **Neko Yummy (flashback) **Bison Yummy *Greeed *Zodiarts **Orion Zodiarts **Stardust Ninja Dustards *Phantoms **Ghouls **Argus *Inves **Shika Inves **Lion Inves **Elementary Inves *Roidmudes **Low-Class Roidmudes *Gamma **Gamma Commandos **Katana Gamma *Bugsters **Bugster Virus *Smash **Strong Smash Hazard *Guardian **Guardian **Hard Guardian *Kasshine *Humanoise Episodes Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : *Ziku-Driver, Ridewatch, Ohma Zi-O Voices: *Ziku-Driver Voice: *BeyonDriver Voice: Recurring Cast * : * : * : *Neo Decadriver Voice, Neo Diendriver Voice: Guest Stars Build * / : * : Ex-Aid * : * : * : 555 * : * : Fourze * : * : * : Wizard * : OOO * : * : * : Gaim * : * : Ghost * : * : * : * : Future Riders * : * : * : * : Ryuki * , : * : Blade * : * : * : Agito * : * : * : Hibiki * : * : Kiva * : Kabuto * : * : * : Den-O * : * : * : * : * : * : W * : Drive * : Others * : * : Notes *Following only Kamen Rider Black RX before it, the final Showa era series, Zi-O will be broadcast through two eras of Japanese history. However, while Black RX entered the Heisei era with the death of on January 7, 1989, Zi-O shall enter the new Reiwa era on May 1, 2019 with the scheduled abdication of on April 30 in 2019. *This is the first series since Fourze to have the titular rider only appear at the predecessor's summer film while OOO is the first have the transformation device appearing at the predecessor's series only. *On Zi-O s official Twitter page, there is an error on the banner that shows Ryuki wearing the Decadriver. This error was fixed as the banner have several Riders covering Ryuki's lower body. However, the image of Ryuki wearing the Decadriver remains on the banner. **Incidentally, Decade would appear in the series as well as changing into Ryuki. However, he does not use the original Decadriver and instead uses the Neo Decaderiver. *This is the first series since: **''Ghost'' to feature secondary writers plotting the episodes. **''Den-O'' to not have spring film in production during the series run. *The actors of the three Future Riders' are Super Sentai alumni. **Interestingly, They all starred in 2010s Super Sentai series. ***Although the first two played Sentai Rangers, the third played a Sentai Villain. **The fourth Future Rider's (voice) actor also voiced Sentai Monsters of the week. *This Kamen Rider series shares some similar elements with its first Super Hero Time partner, Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger. **Even though Lupin-Pat is not an anniversary season, both celebrate the respective franchises: ***The Lupin Collection is made of props of previous Sentai seasons ***Zi-O and Geiz can utilize the powers of past Heisei Riders **Both have heroes raised by their uncle (Patren 3gou and Kamen Rider Zi-O) ***The force of time isn't as prevelent, but Noël and the Lupinrangers have lost someone they loved, so they want to "reclaim their frozen time", which is their motivation/reasoning to become Lupinrangers. **Both the heroes and the Monsters of both shows use the same collectible device to use their powers with them having differences between who uses them. ***Both the Lupinrangers, Patrangers and the Gangler use Lupin Collection Pieces with the only difference is that the pieces used by the Lupinranger and the Patranger are modified for human use. ***Both the Riders and the Another Riders use Ridewatches with the difference being that the ones used by the Riders are high tech with the face of a Past Rider on it and the ones used for Another Riders are evil demonic looking trinkets with faces of a monstrous version of a past Rider on it. **The motif of the Monsters in both shows involve the past in some way. ***All members of the Ganglers are themed after extinct animals (ex. Dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex and extinct mammals like the Woolly Mammoth). ***Another Riders are themed after past riders. **Jingi Irie appears in both of them. **The heroes from both shows have a power-up that allows them to predict their opponents moves. *** for Super Lupin Red and Super Patren X. ***Zi-O Ridewatch II for Kamen Rider Zi-O II. **Both the Lupinrangers, Patrangers and Zi-O Riders can fuse into one. (Lupin Red uses to combine Lupin Blue and Lupin Yellow into , Patren 1gou uses to combine Patren 2gou and Patren 3gou into , Kamen Rider Zi-O uses Zi-O Trinity Ridewatch to combine Kamen Rider Geiz and Kamen Rider Woz into Zi-O Trinity). *Not counting Rider Troops, this series has highest number of unnamed identity Riders, being (currently) 38 people. *Currently, Kamen Rider Zi-O has the highest number of returning Legend Riders, being 58 at present (including stand-in and suit-only appearances). **When included those Legend Riders who did not appear transformed and so are counted as returning allies, this number is further increased to 63. **Including the Legacy Riders and Another World Legend Riders further increases the count to 81. **Legend Riders in Kamen Rider Decade and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid are not counted since they were merely alternate versions. **Zi-O also has the highest number of returning cast from previous series, with 42 actors, 6 actress and 7 voice actors (including some who returned but portrayed/voiced new character). *Aside from Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FOREVER, the series does not have a tribute episode to both Kamen Rider Kuuga and Kamen Rider W. **Although, the series feature Katsumi Daido from the W'' series, no characters from ''Kuuga have appeared in this series at all. References External Links *Official Toei TV Page (Japanese) *Official TV Asahi Page (Japanese) *Official season promo on Bandai Japan's YouTube channel *Heisei Kamen Rider 20 Official Site